Strange Fruit: One Of The Most Powerful Antiracism Songs Of The 20th Century

Billie Holliday’s haunting tune, Strange Fruit, remains one of the most powerful antiracism songs of the 20th century. The lyrics describe the horror of lynchings, when black men and women were brutalized and murdered, hanging on trees for sometimes days. The lyrics are just as powerful as they were in 1959, when the video below was recorded. In this live performance, Holliday sings beautifully, capturing the pain of blacks in the racist South in the time.